Jade Loville promises improvement after slow start; Wildcats putting 'we before me'

Jade Loville isn’t tinkering with her routine.

She puts in the extra work, putting up shots before practice. After practice, too.

The 5-foot-11-inch guard/forward knows it’s just a matter of time before the shots start falling in games.

The floodgates might be starting to open up. Loville scored 15 points on Saturday as No. 14 Arizona (6-0) beat the San Diego, 86-60, to cap the USD Thanksgiving Classic.

“It’s no secret that I’ve had a slow start. I haven’t been shooting as well as I’m used to,” Loville said. “I think with the confidence that my coaches instill in me and the confidence that I have in myself, I’m still going to continue to take those shots. There’s a lot of work that goes into behind those shots that I take. I think it’s just a matter of time before they fall and I’m not too worried about it. It’s early. I also have a team that is going to continue to find me. They’re going to pick up the slack when some of those shots aren’t falling and I think staying poised and knowing that the coaches are still going to have that trust in me and that confidence in me. It’s everything.”

Loville averages 11.2 points per game, but has made only 26 of 67 attempts from the field. She’s shooting the same from 3-point range — 39% — as she is from 2-point land.

Arizona coach Adia Barnes is asking Loville, a transfer from Arizona State, to do more than just shoot. Loville can drive to the hoop and draw fouls, two things that help open up the offense.

“We’re having her do things she’s never done,” Barnes said. “It’s challenging her to take her next step as a player and get to the next level. … We know she’s a great shooter. We know she works really hard. She’s going to hit shots and she’s going to help us win. …

“Challenging her to defend better, challenging her to post up and do different things that she hasn’t done but she is capable of doing. She has the body to do it. She wants to do it and … she’s going to get better here and that’s what we’re supposed to do. And I think for her, it’s just those growing pains right now. That will all show in a couple of weeks to a month, and I think she’ll be a different player.”

The fifth-year senior is doing plenty to keep ready. She’s been a regular in the training room, and on Wednesday, spent some time in the pool to freshen up her aching legs.

She said the shooting struggles are a blessing in disguise.

“It’s challenging me to put more pressure on my inside game,” she said. “It’s the unpredictability that every scorer wants to have. It puts pressure on defenses to guard us honest … I’m still going to take the same shots. There’s a lot more to come.”

Putting the team first

The UA isn’t relying on Loville to carry the scoring load. The senior is tied for fourth in points per game, trailing Shaina Pellington (14.8), Esmery Martinez (13.7) and Kailyn Gilbert (12.0).

The lack of a true scoring leader is “a true test,” Barnes said. “You have to put ‘we’ before ‘me.’”

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“That’s hard for a lot of people, but that’s how we’re going to be successful,” Barnes said. “If we’re just worried about our offense, and we’re not worried about other things, we’re not going to be good. Once we understand that it’s a team game, we’re only as good as our teammates and it’s not about how much you score. It’s about being a complete player and playing on both ends of the floor, then we’re going to be good. As coaches, it’s helping us realize what that looks like, and what the expectations are.”

Barnes sets the standards high. In practice, she rewards the Wildcats for being team players. For example, if you score and don’t get the next defensive stop, you lose points.

“We’re getting to that point now,” Barnes said. “… it’s enforcing the things that I want to value. I think players value what you value as a coach.”

Going viral

Fields had an electrifying moment in the Wildcats’ 87-47 win over Cal State Northridge last month. The Oklahoma State transfer made a spin move and scored with a defender glued to her.

Fields said when she did the move, “I didn’t think it was as good as it was.”

But her teammates knew. Gilbert was the first to celebrate on the court. Maya Nnaji said she was “screaming my lungs out.”

Field, a 5-foot-9-inch senior guard who Barnes has called a blue-collar player, went right back to work. She is still working to get in rhythm on offense, wants to ready when her teammates need her to score and is focusing on defense.

Fields has 10 steals and three blocks this season.

“I think when you see Lauren working hard, it makes you want to work hard — (she) sets the tone for the team and gives us a spark,” Nnaji said. “She’s a leader. She’s a communicator. She knows what’s going on, on the floor. She’s a sniper. She’s a slasher. You haven’t even seen it yet. It’ll come you’ll see it.”

Rim shots

Helena Pueyo has been named the Wildcats’ team captain.

“She has the highest basketball IQ on our team by far,” Barnes said. “She is a great basketball player and she’s unselfish. … She’s making huge, huge steps to becoming better in every way. She’s more of a leader this year. She’s more vocal. She’s the glue of our team. I put a lot of responsibilities and expectations on her and I’m challenging her to lead in all different ways. She’s doing that.”